The Ouran Program: Human Chess
by magic hidden in the shadows
Summary: AU Human Chess: A high-stakes game with little chance of survival. Haruhi thought that the Ouran Program was just a place where she could study; she was wrong. When she's put on a team with six boys, she finds that there's not a good chance of survival. Especially since the rival team has never lost once. Pretending to be a boy and fight was not on Haruhi's agenda for the summer.
1. Prologue: The Ouran Program

A/N: So, this story's been in my head for a while, and I finally decided to write it. This is AU, so some of the characters might be a bit out of character. It's necessary for the story. :) By the way, this story takes place in the future, so the technology is more advanced. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story.

I don't own Ouran High School Host Club.

Prologue: The Ouran Program

Haruhi Fujioka was poor, there was no other way to sugarcoat it. She knew that, of course, and she didn't mind much. Money, status, gender; it didn't matter for her. It was how someone was on the inside that Haruhi cared about. She had always worked hard to get what she wanted. At the moment, what she wanted was to get accepted into the Ouran Program.

Only the most brilliant and talented teenagers were allowed into the Ouran Program. Wealth and status didn't matter. If you didn't meet the requirements, then you weren't accepted into it. Although, so far only the rich were accepted into the program. 'Commoners' like Haruhi had never been accepted before. Until Haruhi came along.

Haruhi wanted to become a successful lawyer one day, and the best way to become one was to get into the Ouran Program, where they, "Enhance your abilities and intelligence." It only took place in the summer, and everyone was required to stay there the whole time. No visitors were allowed, so Haruhi wouldn't be able to see her father at all. But it was a small price to pay to be accepted.

Haruhi stood in front of the building where she would be staying at for the while summer. It reminded Haruhi of a fort. It was surrounded by a fence, so no one would be able to leave. That probably should have made Haruhi uneasy, but she didn't mind very much. She picked up her suitcase and walked through the door.

Little did she know that there was a chance she wouldn't be coming out.


	2. Introduction

I don't own Ouran High School Host Club

Chapter One: Introduction

Haruhi couldn't help but be surprised when she was called a _he _rather than a _she_. Apparently, there had been a mix up in the Ouran system, and so she had been registered as a boy rather than a girl. She didn't mind, of course, so she didn't say anything about it. She was, however, debating whether or not to ask about the uniform. Haruhi hadn't even been informed that she was required to wear one, and was surprised when she had been handed one as soon as she walked through the door. It was all black, and consisted of a short-sleeved turtleneck, pants and a belt, and leather fingerless gloves. It seemed to match the mood of the building. The walls were painted a dull gray, and the floors seemed to be made of cement.

The whole atmosphere was making Haruhi uneasy. The only good thing that had happened so far was that she was allowed to have her own room. She had been informed that there were only about seventeen other students there, and so there were many rooms to spare. When she opened the door to her bedroom, she found that it matched the rest of the building. A twin sized bed sat in the middle of the room, and one small drawer sat against the wall across from the closet. The door to the bathroom was next to the bed. The room was about the size of her old room back at home, although not as inviting.

She laid down her suitcase next to her bed and quickly changed into her uniform. Haruhi was surprised about how comfortable her uniform actually was. She sat down at the foot of her bed and opened up her schedule. She had something to do that very day, and she didn't want to be late. Only one thing was scheduled that day. _Meeting with your team at one o' clock. _It made no sense to Haruhi. '_What team?' _Haruhi looked up at the clock in her room. It was twelve forty. Haruhi sighed and got up. It looked as if she wouldn't be able to rest just yet.

...

...

It took some time, but Haruhi finally found the place where she was supposed to be. She opened the door to reveal seven young men. They were wearing clothes similar to hers and did not seem to enjoy being there. They looked up when she entered the room. The group consisted of a boy with blonde hair and startling violet eyes, an intelligent looking boy with glasses, a small blonde boy that looked only to be about ten-years-old; although Haruhi had a feeling he was a lot older than he appeared, a tall black-haired boy with a stoic expression on his face, and two ginger-haired twins with yellow eyes and identical bored expressions on their faces.

The intelligent looking one adjusted his glasses and turned to her. "I believe you are the last person on this team? Haruhi Fujioka, is it?"

Haruhi decided not to ask how he knew her name, and just nodded. He gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs.

"Now that everyone is here, let's get started. I am Kyoya Ohtori."

"Tamaki Suoh," the violet eyed boy said with a grin.

"Mitsukuni Haninozuka. But you can call me Honey!" the little one answered. "And this is Takashi Morinozuka. You can call him Mori."

'Mori' grunted in greeting.

The twins glanced at each other.

"I'm Hikaru Hitachiin."

"And I'm Kaoru Hitachiin."

Haruhi looked up at them all. "Haruhi Fujioka," She turned to Kyoya. He seemed to be the most reliable person there. "I'm wondering why there are only seventeen students here. Do you know why?"

"The Ouran Program is for the elite. Only the best students are allowed in," he replied. His eyes seemed to flash behind his glasses as he looked at her. "You don't know what the real purpose of this program is, correct?"

Haruhi frowned. "It's a study program, isn't it?"

"That's what they want you to think," Hikaru interjected.

Haruhi blinked, a confused look on her face. "Then what's the whole point of this?" She was starting to get a bad feeling in her gut.

"There's a reason only the best get into this program every year," Kaoru said.

"Please explain," Haruhi said.

Kyoya took over the explanation. "The government has created the Ouran Program to lure the most brilliant children to try to enroll into its program. It disguises itself as a way to enhance your abilities, or as a study program. But it's much more than that."

"Ever heard of human chess, Haruhi?" Hikaru asked with a glint in his eyes.

"Human chess? Is that what this is?" Haruhi asked.

"It's a different kind of human chess," Kaoru answered. "In this game, people actually die." He said it so casually that Haruhi wasn't sure whether to believe him or not.

"The government believes that a war could be coming up in the future, and they need the best people in their army," Kyoya explained. "That's where the game comes along. It's a lot like the game of Human Chess, although people actually get injured in this one. Two teams are put against each other and taken into a playing field. Whichever team wins is allowed into the army once the war starts."

Kyoya looked so serious and sincere about the whole concept that Haruhi had a hard time trying to believe that he was lying. "You can't be serious," she said. "What war? Why would they send children into battle?"

"None of us have any specific details," Tamaki replied. He looked so serious, and Haruhi had a feeling that he didn't usually look that way. "But we do know that the war is in the future ahead. The government wants to start preparing their soldiers to go to war."

"I...see," Haruhi said softly. She tried to wrap her brain around the big news that she had just heard. "And so we're one of the teams that are competing in this Human Chess game?"

"That is correct," Kyoya replied.

"How do you know all this? Shouldn't this be some huge secret the government wouldn't want to go out to the public?" Haruhi asked.

"Hika-chan and Kao-chan's cousin was in the Human Chess game last year. So he told them." Honey replied in cute voice that didn't match the seriousness in his eyes.

"We had all arrived here some time before you did, Fujioka-san. And they had explained to us about the game before you came." Kyoya said.

Haruhi turned to look at the twins. "Your cousin was in the game?"

"That's right," Kaoru replied.

"He was a total wreck when he got home after the game," Hikaru said. "No one would believe him when he told them about the game. But we did. He wasn't one to lie, and he especially couldn't have thought of something like this."

Everyone looked so calm as they explained this, while Haruhi felt a burst of panic rising within her. "So what happens in this game?"

"Well, like Kyoya-senpai said, there are two teams. Each has eight people. There is a chess master for each team and they control what the team can or cannot do," Hikaru explained. "The chess masters are usually the son and daughter of the person who started this whole program."

"The son, Umehito Nekozawa, is one of the chess masters. Never once has he lost a game. Our cousin was on his team, and that was probably why he got to return home." Kaoru said.

"The other chess master is Reiko. Those two have always been the chess masters, and Reiko has always lost. Her team was pretty close to winning last year, but Nekozawa still won," Hikaru said. "This year, Reiko's sick, so their step-sister is filling in for her."

"Her name is Renge Houshakuji, and it's her first year to ever be in the game," Kyoya said.

Haruhi felt dread rise within her. "Let me guess, she's our chess master?"

Kaoru nodded. "Yeah, so in other words-"

"We're screwed." Hikaru finished.

"But not to worry, Haruhi!" Tamaki cried out, standing up. "I will protect you in any way I can! I shall lead our team to victory!"

Haruhi's eye twitched in annoyance to the blonde's loud outburst. "I don't need your protecting."

As fast as lightning, Tamaki was sitting in the corner, a dark gloom seeming to surround him.

Haruhi sweat-dropped. "Does that always happen?"

Kyoya sighed. "Unfortunately, yes."

Haruhi sighed. "So, explain to me how this Human Chess game works."

Kaoru took over the explanation. "The two teams are taken to the playing field and put far away from each other. The two chess masters watch from one of the buildings in the playing field. The chess masters are the ones who give out orders to the team members. There's the Queen on one team and the King on the other. They're the only ones who are allowed to have contact with their chess master for the whole entire game, and relay the orders of their chess master to the other team members. They're not allowed to participate in any of the trials in the game unless the chess master allows it. No matter what happens, the King or Queen aren't allowed to interfere."

Hikaru continued. "The rest of the team are pawns. They're the ones who participate in the trials of the game."

"What kind of trials?" Haruhi asked.

"The trials vary," Kyoya answered. "Some include fighting and others include certain skills."

"What kind of skills?" Haruhi asked.

Kyoya shrugged. "I have not participated in the game before, so I don't know."

"The game ends when you either defeat all of the people on the other team, defeat the King or Queen, or the chess master surrenders." Tamaki said grimly.

"What happens to the surviving team members?" Haruhi asked.

"They get sent home and are called back when needed," Kyoya said. "And if you were on the losing team..." Kyoya shrugged.

Haruhi shuddered. "That doesn't seem quite... humane."

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Since when is everything humane?"

"Nekozawa has already decided that his team will have a Queen," Kyoya said. "So our team must have a King."

"So who's going to be the King?" Haruhi asked.

Kyoya smiled coldly. "I believe _you _are."

Haruhi's eyes widened. "_What_?"

The same cold smile was still plastered on his face. "There was a mistake in the system, wasn't there? Although you are a girl, you are registered as a boy. Technically, you are allowed to become the King. As long as the other team doesn't realize your true gender, we'll be fine."

Haruhi searched her mind for a way out of the situation. "But I can't become the King. I-"

"If I am truly aware, I believe you hold no fighting skills whatsoever, correct?" Kyoya pushed up his glasses. "The King does not have to fight unless truly necessary. As long as all of us are capable of fighting, you will not have to do anything. The King is usually the smartest person in the group." He gave her a look that made Haruhi think that he was not quite happy with the fact.

"The pawns protect the King, Haru-chan," Honey said quietly.

Kyoya nodded. "This is the best strategy. You become King and we will participate in the trials. You will not get in our way, and things will turn out fine."

Haruhi tried not to take offense to what he said.

"So, I guess it's settled," Haruhi said awkwardly.

Kyoya smiled without warmth. "We are your pawns, my king."

...

...

A/N: I'm sorry if any of them were out of character. But they can't exactly act like their normal selves in a situation like that.

~Magic


	3. The Chess Masters

I don't own Ouran High School Host Club

Chapter Two: The Chess Masters

Two teenagers were seated across from each other in a dark room. There was a thick tension between them, as if the air itself was choking them. A thin ray of light was visible through the windows; although not enough to overpower the darkness in the room.

"Have you met with your team yet, Renge?" The dark-haired boy in front of her set down his teacup and looked at her.

"I haven't had the time," Renge replied, hesitating. "They just met each other yesterday after all."

"That's hardly an excuse," Nekozawa retorted. "I see I was right in my opinion that you're not ready to participate in this game."

Renge stiffened. "That has nothing to do with the game. I have as much chance as you do to win."

Nekozawa smiled a thin smile. "Is that right? I've won every single game I've participated in, Renge. Even Reiko cannot beat me."

Renge gritted her teeth. "She was close last year."

"That doesn't count. Only winning will get you anywhere," Nekozawa said. "I have a very skilled team this year. I just thought I'd give you a fair warning."

She glared at him. "I don't need a warning. I'll do just fine on my own."

Nekozawa smirked. "I surely hope so." He stood up and put on his black cloak. "Oh, and don't get too attached to your pawns, Renge. They are just that; pawns. The chess master is the one that really matters. Without us, the whole system falls apart. The pawns are nothing without us."

"That's not right," Renge cried. "Without the pawns, the chess master is nothing! Who would we have to control without them? Who would do the things we can't?"

Nekozawa glanced at his step-sister. "An interesting way of looking at it. It's your opinion, I suppose. Although, I can't say I agree." He started to walk out of the room. "I wish you good luck in the game, my little chess master."

...

...

Haruhi examined the girl in front of her. She looked about her age; sixteen. She had wavy brown hair and big brown eyes. She wore a black dress with ruffles at the bottom, and her sleeves puffed out. Her hands were covered with black leather gloves.

"Renge Houshakuji, right?" Haruhi asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

"That's right," she said softly. "And you're my team?"

Haruhi nodded. "Yes."

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Kyoya put down his teacup and adjusted his glasses. "Would you mind explaining to us how this is going to work?"

"Not at all," Renge said. "I assume you know mostly everything about the game already, so I'll explain some other things. The game will begin next week, and will last as long as it needs to. You'll be participating in many different types of trials to get to the chess pieces."

"Chess pieces?" Haruhi asked, frowning.

Renge nodded. "At the end of the trial, the winner will receive a chess piece. If every chess piece is found before one of the teams yield, the game will automatically end. The team that has the most chess pieces will win. You can, of course, steal a chess piece from the other team. Although, that hardly ever happens."

"Steal a chess piece?" Hikaru repeated with a sly grin.

Renge smiled slightly. "That's right."

Kaoru grinned. "Sounds good to me."

Kyoya frowned slightly. "And if you get caught?"

"Then you'll have to fight them for it." Renge shrugged. "But before you enter the playing field, you'll be put through several tests."

"What kind of tests?" Haruhi asked warily.

"The tests give you an idea of what awaits you in the game. You'll be put in a mock playing field tomorrow. It will look just like the real one, although the dangers won't be real." Renge stared at them with a grim expression on her face. "I will do all I can to help you all get home. Although I'm new to this game, I've known Nekozawa for a long time. I've talked to him a lot more than Reiko has, and I think I know what tricks he's going to use." She smirked. "Don't count me out just yet. I've got some tricks of my own."

Haruhi could tell that Renge was sincere. She truly believed that they had a chance of winning this game. Her confidence made Haruhi relax slightly. At least their chess master wasn't entirely incompetent.

"This is your first time participating in the game, right?" Honey asked.

"Yes," Renge admitted. "I can understand if that worries you all-"

"Not at all!" Tamaki exclaimed. "We can tell that you'll do your best in getting us home, and that makes all the difference. We have something Nekozawa and his team don't have."

"And what's that?" Hikaru asked dryly.

Tamaki started sparkling, much to Haruhi's displeasure. He pumped his fist in the air. "A fresh chess master!"

Renge sweat dropped. "Fresh?"

Hikaru's eye twitched. "Are you saying she smells nice?"

Kyoya smirked. "I see what you mean."

"And _what _exactly does he mean?" Kaoru demanded.

"Having a new chess master means that we can surprise Nekozawa. This is the first time she's ever been in the game, which means that he doesn't know what to expect from her. Unlike Renge, who I assume has watched every chess game, she knows what to expect from him." Kyoya explained.

Haruhi smiled. "Which gives us an advantage."

Tamaki grinned. "Exactly! So, all hope is not lost!"

"Yeah, but who knows what Nekozawa is planning this time around," Hikaru said. "Not to mention the team he has."

Renge frowned. "He told me his team was highly skilled. I don't know for sure that he was being truthful though..."

"Of course they're skilled," Kaoru said. "They wouldn't have gotten into this program if they weren't."

"But that means we're skilled too," Tamaki said with a smile. "We all have skills that will benefit us in the game somehow. We still have a chance."

Renge clasped her hands together in delight. "That's right! So, we all need to work together to win this game. If even one of us is absent, things will fall apart. It's not a chess game without all of the pieces."

"That's right! None of us can function properly without each other," Tamaki said. "So, we have to work hard!"

"Yeah!" Honey said, pumping his fist in the air.

"Ah," Mori said with a nod.

The twins looked at each other with identical grins on their faces. "Let's do this!"

Haruhi smiled. For the first time since she had arrived here, she felt hopeful. Perhaps she would be able to go home after all.

Kyoya shook his and smirked. "Idiots."

...

...

A/N: As you can probably see, Nekozawa is out of character. It was necessary to the story, and his real personality didn't fit with his role.


End file.
